The Prince, The Peasant & The Jake
by Rustling of Leaves
Summary: Can Prince Ian Kabra and a peasant, Amy Cahill...two very different people from two very different worlds really fall in love? And can their love ever be possible, what with all the obstacles that stand in their way? And just what is Jacob Rosenbloom doing in the picture? AU.
1. Chapter 1

Our story starts right from the beginning. In the faraway land of Amazonia...

Amazonia was a kingdom, in the geographical location of where London now stands. It was ruled by the extremely handsome Lord Vikram Baron Kabra, and the most beautiful woman in the land, his wife Lady Isabel Hollingsworth-Kabra. Their only offspring, and next in heir to the throne was Prince Ian Damon Kabra. He was 22, and was currently being pursued by the entire female population of Amazonia. Apart from his extremely good looks, Ian was also very intelligent. He had book knowledge, and also possessed a very rare kind of common sense.

In this very same kingdom, lived Daniel Arthur Cahill, who was the local blacksmith of the area. He lived with his wife, Natalie and their two kids, Luke and Jason. With Daniel, lived his sister, the young and pretty, Amy Hope Cahill. They all lived content and happy in their small cottage, from the small wage that Daniel was able to manage. Amy wished not to marry, and so still lived with her brother.

* * *

And this is where our story starts...

* * *

Amy and Natalie were chatting in the tiny bedroom of the family's house, as Natalie put Luke to sleep. Jason was already asleep in the bed next to them. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Amy offered generously. She walked to the brown door and opened it. "Hello, how may I help yo..." She paused as she saw the scene displayed in front of her. On the door were two people wearing the official Amazonia uniform, which only soldiers of the royal palace wore. The two men wore a scowl on their faces, and in between them stood her brother, Dan. He opened his mouth to say something, but one of the soldiers beat him to it.

"Good evening, ma'am. We believe..." The man looked at Dan in disgust. "...this _thing_ is yours."

"Yes, he's my brother. And his name is Dan." Amy said, a very annoyed look on her face. The soldier raised his eyebrow, and Amy shrank back.

"Well, anyway. Like I was saying. Miss, your brother has been arrested on charges of assault of an officer. This is a big felony, and you can expect dire consequences. The verdict from the court will be released tomorrow, and he is allowed to spend the night today at home. Although, two soldiers, in this case, us two, are supposed to stand guard outside your house to make sure he doesn't escape in the night." The man said blankly, not even a hint of emotion on his face. The other soldier roughly pushed Dan inside the house. Amy shut the door in their faces. By that time, Natalie, had put the kids to sleep and came rushing to see what all the commotion was about.

"What's the matter, Amy?" Natalie asked worriedly.

"I don't know! Daniel Arthur Cahill, you'll explain to me what all this was about. And you will do it right now!" Amy demanded, her arms crossed. Dan rolled his eyes. He was 20 now, and still allowed himself to be bossed around by his sister.

"Ames, it's nothing,"

"Oh don't you 'Ames' me! What were those two talking about? You assaulted an officer? Why would you do such a stupid thing?" Amy almost screamed. Dan knew Amy was usually a reasonable person, but this scenario really didn't look very good. He cleared his throat...this would require a _lot_ of explanation.

"You know those two nincompoops standing outside our house? So, I was walking to the smithy this morning and I saw both of them hitting Harry. With wooden clubs." Amy and Natalie looked shocked. Harry was a thirteen year old boy, who worked for the local baker of the town. He was a very sweet boy, and all the villagers liked him a lot. Why would anybody have anything against someone like him?

"I ran to the scene, and tried to break the fight apart. But those two idiots didn't stop. So, I had to do something. That's why...I kinda punched one of them." Dan said sheepishly. "But both of them soon overpowered me. I had told Harry to run off during the fight, so that is why they caught me instead. But what could I do! I asked one of the people, and the reason they were beating poor Harry was because he refused to give them free bread. I mean, how could I just stand by while an innocent boy got beaten by a bunch of corrupted monsters?!"

"But they can't punish you for such a stupid reason! Why, just because Harry refused to give those two free bread they did all that?!" Amy demanded angrily.

"That's what I heard from the villagers. Everyday these two come to the village and terrorize the villagers for free stuff. They demand that they are authority, and the villagers are too scared to go against them. That was...until they asked Harry." Dan said, his head bowed down.

"Well, what are they going to do now?" Natalie spoke up. The past didn't really matter right now. All they had to do was concentrate on the future.

"I...I honestly don't know. The court orders come tomorrow. And we all know the charges for assaulting a higher officer are really dire. Possibly even...a life term in prison." Dan said sadly. He hugged Natalie, as she sobbed in his shirt. A tear rolled down Amy's eye. These times were really hard on the peasant people. The government in Amazonia was horrible and unjust. Amy wiped her eyes. She couldn't watch her little brother go away from his family. She wouldn't stand for it. Amy was ready to go in his place...but she knew Dan would never allow it. But there was no harm in asking right? And even if he would say no...she had a plan B.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it.**

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"Please Dan! Just think about it!" Amy pleaded for the hundredth time. Dan shook his head firmly, an adamant look on his face. It was clear that his decision would not change any time soon, no matter what anybody said. Even if it was the person he loved the most, his sister Amelia.

"I don't care how many times you ask me, the answer is still a big no! There is no way I'm letting you go to jail for me!" Dan said sternly.

"But Dan! Did you even stop to think how we are going to manage if you're gone?! How the hell do you expect Jason and Luke to live without you? And Natalie...how'll she handle two kids on her own!? They need you Dan...but there will be no problem if I go in your place. In fact, it will be one mouth less to feed!" Amy demanded. Dan didn't say anything for a while. His sister did have a point...a very solid one at that. But he couldn't just let her take the fall for him. She had done too that many times in the past...once when they were just kids, Dan stole a piece of candy from the grocers. When the 'crime' was found out, Amy had told the people that she had taken the candy, not Dan. Then there was this other time...Dan grimaced. Why was he thinking about all this now? He snapped back to reality. Amy was standing there, her hands on her hips, waiting for Dan's answer.

"Sorry, Ames. My answer's still no. And I think it would be better for us both to drop this topic right now. Now, Natalie, can you serve dinner? I'll just go wash up." Dan walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Natalie walked off to the kitchen to prepare their meal. Amy stood there, dumbfounded. _OK, no biggie. Dan rejected my idea. So...now I just have to bring out the big guns._ She walked to her drug cupboard and whisked out a small brown bottle. On it's cover was a yellow label, which said;

**SLEEPING PILLS**

**Take two every night for a peaceful slumber.**

Amy smiled. There was no way her brilliant idea wasn't going to work.

* * *

Amy entered the kitchen, and saw Natalie preparing dinner; chicken stew with a piece of bread. Natalie was now pouring the hot liquid into three bowls; the biggest one for Dan, while the two smaller ones for her and Amy.

"Hey, Natalie, why don't you go set the table and I'll clear up everything here." Amy offered. Natalie nodded her head in response and grabbed a piece of cloth from the kitchen counter. She made her way out the door, and into the main room. Once Amy was convinced that the coast was clear, she brought out the bottle that had been cleverly concealed in her skirt. She opened the bottle, and took out eight white pills. She crushed four of them into Dan's bowl, and the rest into Natalie's. They were sleeping pills, and Amy had put just enough to make sure that Dan and Natalie would remain blacked out for a minimum of sixteen hours, and also not that many that it would be a threat to their bodies. After placing the three bowls on a tray, Amy made her way outside, to the dining table, where Dan and Natalie were seated. After placing the bowls with the pills in front of them, Amy took her own seat and dipped a metal spoon in the brew. She raised it to her lips, and blew carefully, waiting for her soup to get cool enough for her to drink. Her eyes drifted to Dan and Natalie, and saw to her satisfaction that they were both devouring their meals hungrily. The pills would kick in in about half an hour, and they would be in a deep slumber.

* * *

After dinner, Amy went around, collecting everybody's plates. She looked at her brother and his wife sadly. This would probably be the last time she would see them. Amy walked up to both of them, and enveloped them in a big hug. Dan thought she was doing this because of the grief of losing her brother. He was right...but not in the way he thought he was.

"I'm going to miss you Dan." Amy said quietly.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Ames."

The three stayed like that for a bit more time, until Natalie and Dan pulled away. Amy noticed that they were yawning.

"I think I'm going to take a little nap." Dan said, placing a hand over his mouth to cover up his yawn.

"Me too..." Natalie seconded the thought.

"Great! I'll just wind up everything here, and then I'll retire for the night too!" Amy said.

"'K. Night, Ames!" Dan said, shuffling his way up the stairs, his eyes droopy. Natalie followed him, and they both entered their bedroom, after shutting the door behind them.

Amy did an inward dance. Half of her plan had already worked! Now all she had to was wait for dawn...that was when the second half of her plan could begin. _Might as well get some shut eye myself, _Amy thought, lying down on the sofa.

* * *

At the crack of dawn, a thud on the door woke Amy up. She scrambled to her feet and opened the door. Outside, besides the two soldiers that had been posted to keep an eye on Dan, was a third figure. He was really scrawny, and had ginger hair. He was also holding a paper scroll in his hand.

"Good morning. I'm Robin, and I have in my hand the court orders. And according to them, your brother, Daniel Arthur Cahill has been termed with life imprisonment, on the charges of assaulting a higher authority. A chariot has come to take the guilty party to the royal palace, where he shall be imprisoned in the dungeons. Please call him out."

"Actually," Amy said. "I shall come to take the place of my brother. And I have already checked the Amazonia handbook. According to column 20, row 13, a relative or acquaintance is allowed to take the place of the guilty party, according to his or her own will." Amy said, as if Robin had already rejected to the idea.

"OK, then. Come along." Robin said. "But, you must know, that once you have sat in the chariot, there is no turning back. You can't change your decision. Are you sure that you are willing to take the place of your brother?"

A series of images flashed through Amy's brains. A picture of Dan and her, while he was seven and she was ten. And then another image, when a girl in Amy's class had bullied her, and she had run to home, crying. Dan, who was just a young boy, had raised his little fists and had threatened to beat the 'fishsticks' out of that bully. He had looked so cute that Amy forgot all about her grief, and she hugged him, as he squirmed to get out of his 'smelly sister's' bear hug. Amy smiled, and wiped away a silent tear.

"I'm positive."


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm seriously happy with the reviews. Thank you to everyone who reviewed.**

* * *

The chariot screeched to a halt in front of the castle, and Amy got out, her hands bound behind her back. On either side of Amy stood a big burly guard, and Robin stood in front of them. When Amy saw the castle, she gasped. It was so...beautiful. She had read only books of such magnificent places like these, and now she was actually getting to see one in real life! For a moment, Amy forgot all her worries. She stood there, admiring the large Kabra castle, built with only the finest white marble. Amy had read that the king, Vikram Kabra, had had it imported from India and China, and the jewels that were etched in the marble walls had been imported from different parts of the world. Amy could see why...the jewels were of different types. There were rubies, diamonds, emeralds, pearls...you name it, and it was right there.

"Hey, get a move on girlie." One of the guards said, pushing Amy toward the large metal gate. Robin walked up to the two men standing on either side of the gate. They were dressed in metal gear from head to toe, and held in their hands large metal spears. Amy shuddered at the sight of them. They must have known Robin, because they let him in without saying a word. Amy followed meekly, and so did the guards watching her. Amy gasped again when she saw the interior of the Castle. The floor was again made of white marble, and it was polished so finely that Amy could see her reflection in it. On the ceiling hung big crystal chandeliers. Amy wanted to stand there, and slowly soak in all this, but of course the two impatient oafs 'guarding' her didn't allow it. Robin lead them to a big door, and when Amy walked in, she wished the ground would open and suck them all in. Why? Because inside this room was a massive crowd. There were people of all kinds...rich people, peasants, and of course, in the middle of the room, on the throne made from pure gold and rubies sat the king himself. Lord Vikram Baron Kabra. Amy didn't gasp this time, she was already used to impressive sights by now. He was incredibly handsome, even at the age of fifty nine. His hair were a metallic white color, and even then he looked better than most of the young males in the country. Aside him, sat his extremely beautiful wife, Isabel Hollingsworth-Kabra. Unlike her husband and son, Isabel had a very white complexion. She was extremely fair, and her chocolate brown locks just complemented her skin even more. Now, near the king and the queen stood another handsome figure. With chiseled features, raven colored hair and a cinnamon tan, was the son of the royals, Prince Ian Damon Kabra. Amy's eyes widened. She wanted more time to appreciate this beautiful specimen, but Robin nudged her.

"Miss Cahill, get ready. We are about to present your case in front of the king and queen soon." Robin whispered to Amy. Amy then noticed the two clowns because of which she had gotten into this mess in the first place, enter the room. Before she had any time to respond, Robin was asked to present the case.

"Case No. 122," the announcer's shrill voice rang through the room. Robin gestured for Amy and the two men to come before the king. The men walked to them with confidence, but Amy walked slowly, with her head bent down.

"I believe we were dealing with a Daniel Arthur Cahill on this case?" Isabel asked, her voice sickly-sweet.

"Y-yes your majesty." Amy could see that Robin was scared. He explained everything to the king and queen, about Amy volunteering to go in Dan's place.

"I see. Please ask the girl to come forward." Vikram said. Amy pushed through Robin and the two men, and came and stood in front of Isabel and Vikram.

"Put your head up girl, how am I supposed to see your face then?" Isabel said. Amy raised her head up, her emerald eyes shining with unshed tears.

"What did you say your name was?"

"A-Amy."

"Speak up, girl!"

"Amy. Amy Cahill."

"Amy. Do you know what a grave crime your brother has committed? Assaulting a high rank soldier? Utterly disgraceful." Isabel said, in a disapproving tone. Vikram was quiet, he knew better than to get in his wife's way. Amy's eyes drifted to Ian...he looked bored. His eyes were on the ceiling, and Amy knew that he hadn't even looked at her.

"I agree, your majesty. But I request you to hear my part of the story." Amy asked in a quiet tone. She told the king and queen all about the dishonest ways of the guards. Isabel listened with great attention.

"I see. Mathews, Jacob, is what this girl saying true?" Isabel asked the two soldiers. They didn't reply, and Isabel very well knew what their quietness meant.

"I see. Very well then Amy. I can see that you have been wrongly judged. I'll see to the fact that these two get what they deserve. However, your brother should also not have entered the fight. There is a strict rule in Amazonia about it. However, the punishment is not grave as life imprisonment. I do have another kind of punishment for you though." Isabel said. Amy stood there, waiting for Isabel's answer.

"You, Amelia Cahill, shall be my son's, Prince Ian Damon Kabra's personal maid."

* * *

**Don't worry. There's a reason to Isabel's 'just' behavior. All will be revealed in the next chapter. **

**Until then,**

_**-The G.W.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_"You, Amelia Cahill, shall be my son's, Prince Ian Damon Kabra's personal maid."_

Amy shot her head up, her green eyes wide. She noticed that Ian had heard his name and had immediately developed a sudden interest in the topic. All the people in the court had started praising Isabel, while shouting chants of how the queen was 'royal and just'.

"But, mother! This girl is not worthy to be even my servant! To have her be my personal maid, why that's just..." Ian whispered to his mom, over the shouts and chants.

"Ian, go to the library, we shall discuss this there." Isabel whispered back, while smiling warmly at the crowd. Ian rolled his eyes, and made his way out of the courtroom. Isabel raised her hands, and the crowd quietened down.

"I shall now take a short break, while I handle the whole Amelia affair." Isabel told Vikram. He nodded, showing his approval and Isabel got up from her throne. One of the guards, standing near the throne followed her as she walked out the door, whilst dragging Amy.

* * *

Isabel led Amy through the palace, and Amy tried to memorize all the turns they made, but eventually gave up._ If only Dan was here, _Amy thought glumly. Her brother, would have figured out the whole lay out of the castle in just a few minutes, thanks to his photographic memory. Amy, on the other hand, had no special trait like that.

"Stay here." Isabel croacked. Amy noticed that her tone of voice was now cold and mocking, unlike the one she had used in court. Isabel told Amy to wait outside a door, while Isabel herself went inside, followed by her trusty guard.

* * *

"Oh, thank god you're here. Please tell me the thing in court was just a big, cruel joke." Ian said, acknowledging his mother's presence.

"It wasn't a joke, Ian." Isabel said sternly. Ian shuddered at her tone. "I had to do it. I wasn't expecting that peasant of a girl to have a back up story. Though it was a good one. She's a good liar, I can give her that."

"What if she was telling the truth? You know, about Mathews and Jacob misusing their authority?"

"Shut up, Ian. Now, after listening to her 'story', I simply couldn't throw her in jail, right? In front of all those peasants? What would they have thought? That's why I had to give her a less cruel punishment. And her being your maid was the only thing that came to mind."

"Since when did you start caring about what commoners ever thought of you?"

"Stop being so daft, Ian! We may rule Amazonia, but those fools control that! They can any time, over power us. That's why we have to keep them happy. It's a big pain sometimes, but that is the only way we can live the life we are living now. We have to show them we care. Plus, didn't you always want a personal maid?"

"I did, but I was..."

"I don't want to hear it. Now, anyway. Amelia, or Amy, as she likes to be called is standing outside. Show her around the castle, and tell her her jobs and duties. When you're done, you can start preparing for the ball tonight." Isabel commanded.

"Will Sinead be there?" Ian asked eagerly. Sinead Dakota Starling was the princess of Amazonia's neighboring country, Fernia. She was Ian's fiancee, and they would be wed in three months. Ian liked Sinead...she was actually quite smart compared to most of the dim witted ladies who were currently pursuing him. Apart from that, Sinead was also very beautiful and good looking.

"Yes, she will. Be ready by six." With that, Isabel swept out of the room, followed by her bodyguard. Without a glance at Amy, Isabel left the place. Ian walked out of the library, ready to face his new maid.

* * *

"Amy. That's your name right?" Ian asked coldly, studying Amy from head to toe. She was an unusual specimen...porcelain skin, fiery red hair...and the most mesmerising emerald eyes. Talk about weird combinations. Still...there was something about the girl that struck Ian. Could it have been the red color lining her delicate cheekbones? She was blushing. Naturally. Ian did tend to have that effect on girls. He rolled his eyes. The girl was pretty...but not beautiful. Now, Sinead. Sinead was beautiful. Amy Cahill was an ordinary peasant. Ian caught himself. Why was he even comparing Sinead with this...commoner?

Yes, master Ian." Amy replied shyly.

"We are probably going to be seeing each other a lot..." Amy blushed again. "...and I honestly don't care for that. But once mum's made up her mind...Heck, leave that. I'll call another maid to show you around the castle. After you're done with the tour, I want you to lay out my best suit for the ball tonight. The maid will show you my room...Questions?" Amy shook her head. "Very well, then. I shall be in the polo grounds if you need me...not that you will."

"Um, where will I find the other maid?"

"I'll send her to you." Ian said. Without another glance at Amy, he left her alone and went to the path from where Isabel had gone. Amy stood there, in the empty corridor, waiting. Finally, after a few minutes, Amy saw a silhouette walking toward her.

"Hey, you must be the new maid! I'm Falon. Master Ian sent me here, to show you around." The girl said, extending a hand toward Amy. She had dirty blonde hair, just like Dan's. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and she smiled warmly at Amy.

"Yeah...he told me he would send someone." Amy took Falon's hand and shook it. "My name's Amy. Amy Cahill."

"Amy...that's a nice name. I heard that you are now Ian's personal maid. Bummer...don't worry, I'll help you get through it!" Falon joked. Amy immediately liked this girl. "Now come along, let me show you around this place."

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**Check out my other two one shots. And let me know how you found this chapter.**

_**-The G.W**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to all the reviewers! Also, I'm thinking of renaming this story, since there is another fic with a similar title. I need suggestions, so leave some in your reviews!**

* * *

"So, what exactly happens in a...ball?" Amy asked Falon curiously, as she lay down Ian's finest suit down on his bed. Falon had finished giving her the tour of the palace, and now they were deciding Ian's wardrobe for tonight.

"Oh, it's just spoilt rich people prancing around in grand outfits, whilst eating caviar. Which is basically just fish eggs. I had to learn _that_ the hard way." Falon commented, checking her nails. "But it's still fun...hey, why don't we go tonight?"

"Are you kidding?"

"Nope."

"But you have to be."

"No, Amy. I'm not kidding. I go to almost _every_ ball Isabel throws. I even manage to sneak off some of the treats when she isn't looking."

"But we aren't supposed to go! I read the palace rule handbook. Only servants who are actually put on duty are permitted to enter the hall." Amy said impatiently. But she couldn't help feeling a bit excited. What if Falon had a way...?

"Who says we are going to enter the ball as servants?" Amy didn't like the evil glint in Falon's eye.

* * *

"That was a good game." Jake said, getting off his black stallion. Ian got off his white one, and nodded at Jake. Prince Jacob Rostenkowski Rosenbloom, or Jake, as he preferred to be called, was Ian's cousin. Isabel fussed a lot over Jake, since he was the son of her only sibling, King Markus Rostenkowski Rosenbloom, and was also next in line to the throne of the Kingdom of Atlantia, a place much bigger than Amazonia. Secretly, Ian thought Jake was not mature enough to handle the position, but Ian knew better than to insult him, and bring on his mother's fury. The other reason Ian didn't like Jake was because he was also kind of...jealous of him. Jake was as handsome as Ian. Apart from that, Jake was also about to become the ruler of a kingdom like Atlantia. The power he was about to receive was so immense, Ian could only imagine to have it in his dreams.

"So, I hear that you are getting married to that Starling chick, eh? What's her name now? Sherry? Shirley?"

"Sinead. Her name's _Sinead_." Ian said with bated breath.

"Yeah...from Fernia right? She's pretty hot." Jake said, a cocky grin on his face. This was the last straw for Ian.

"Now, you listen here you..."

"Oh, Jacob! How are you dear!?" Isabel interjected. Ian turned around to see his mother walking toward them.

"Hey, Aunt!" Jake said, hugging Isabel. "I'm good. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm marvelous, now that you are here." Isabel said, smiling, a thing which she rarely did.

"Well how could I miss the ball? I needed to meet Ian's future wife, now didn't I?" Jake said. Ian rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of that, Ian you should really go and clean up. Go, get ready for the ball, and I'll keep Jake company."

"Yes, mother." Ian was glad to get away from Jake. He bid them farewell, then made his way to his room.

* * *

Ian walked into his room, only to see Amy and Falon sitting there. They were talking, and had not acknowledged his presence. "What are you doing, Cahill?" Ian demanded. Amy jumped up.

"Uh, oh, s-sorry Master Ian, I was just-"

"I don't want to hear it. Put away my polo things, then draw me a hot bath. Also what is _she_ doing here?" Ian pointed at Falon.

"I was just leaving, Ian."

"What was that?"

"Sorry. _Master_ Ian."

"That's more like it. Now, run along. I need to start getting ready."

"Yes, master." Falon walked out the door, making a funny face at Ian. Amy grinned, and Ian raised his eyes at her, causing her to blush. Ian was already tired, and he didn't really want to talk to this peasant anymore. He entered into his royal bathroom and shut the door behind him.

* * *

Hey, Cahill, hand me my suit!" Ian shouted. Amy came running with the expensive suit, but dropped it when she saw Ian. There he was, standing at his bathroom door, wearing_ nothing_ but a towel. She could see his naked chest, and his pronounced six pack. Amy resembled a tomato right now.

"What the hell? That's a very expensive suit, made from the finest China silk! Be careful with it!" Amy, still blushing, quickly picked up the suit and handed it to Ian. He snatched it from her, and shut the door on her face. After a few minutes, Ian emerged out again, dressed fully this time. Amy was glad. She wasn't really comfortable with seeing the most handsomest man in the country half naked.

"Hey, why are you still here? I have no job for you now. You may go and help out in the kitchen." Ian said coldly. Amy meekly nodded her head and made her way out of Ian's room. She was glad to get away from him as soon as possible. Ian really made her feel all jittery and afraid...he made her feel like a nobody. Well, in this castle, she indeed was a nobody.

Preparations for the royal ball were in full swing, and maids, cooks and butlers swished past Amy carrying plates of food, and vases of flowers. Not even one of them gave the girl a second glance. Amy was going to the kitchen, because Falon had told to meet her there. Falon was apparently going to 'sneak' them into the ball. Whatever the plan was, Amy knew it was going to be something crazy. So lost Amy Cahill was in her thoughts, that she didn't notice the young man in front of her. Amy bumped into the man, who was holding a glass of wine. The drink splashed all over Amy, while drops of it went on the man's polo shirt. Amy closed her eyes, and braced herself for the shouting of a lifetime. What she didn't expect was a;

"Hey there." Amy opened her eyes and slowly looked at the man in front of her. She had bumped into the Prince of Atlantia. Amy, a lowlife peasant, had bumped into the heir of the most powerful kingdom in the whole of England. She had bumped into_ Jacob Rostenkowski Rosenbloom. _

And he wasn't even mad at her.

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**I really don't like this chapter very much. I still hope you review, though!**

**-_The G.W._**


	6. Chapter 6

"I-I'm sorry." Amy stammered.

"Why are you apologizing? It wasn't your fault, um...I'm sorry I didn't quite get your name." Jake said.

"Amelia... Amy Cahill."

"Amy. If anyone should be apologizing, it's me. I completely ruined your dress!"

"It's OK, your majesty." Amy said shyly.

"Call me Jake. I insist." Amy's cheeks turned rouge, which seemed to amuse Jake. He did a total-Kabra like smirk. _Wow, it must run in the family, _Amy thought.

"I-I must be going now." Amy said uncomfortably. She really wasn't used to being around handsome princes.

"And I must too." Jake said charmingly. He took Amy's soft hand and kissed the top of it. "Pleasure meeting you, Amy Cahill. Hope I see you again...soon."

The girl blushed again.

* * *

"He was actually nice?! And he kissed you too?!" Falon interjected, taking Amy by the shoulders and rocking her back to forth.

"It wasn't a real kiss. His lips barely touched my hand."

"He was polite to you! A Kabra was actually polite to you! It's so obvious Jake has a thing for you!"

"Falon, he was just being polite. I seriously think you're over reacting."

"Am I, Amy? Am I really?"

"Yes, Falon. You are. Now, anyway, what's the real reason you called me here?" Amy said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Ah. That. First, why don't you throw this on?" Falon said, handing Amy a dress. Amy held it up in front of herself. It was a cream colored ball gown with net sleeves and a v-shaped neck. The bottom was fluffy, while, the upper region was completely white, and had beautiful brown embroidery on it. Amy gasped.

"Falon! It's beautiful!"

"Thanks. It took me about two days to complete it."

"You _made_ this?"

"Yup. Whenever I find out there's going to be a ball, I always make a fancy dress."

"Why?"

"To sneak in, of course. That's what we are going to do today. We are going to sneak in, and pretend to be princesses from some bogus land. The plan works every time. They don't even bother to check which place I'm from, and I go in as a different person at each ball." Falon said casually, like she was telling Amy about tonight's dinner menu.

"What? Seriously?"

"Yup. And today, Amy, I'm going to take you with me. So, quick put on the dress and show me how it looks on you."

"Falon-I'm not going to do this. Plus, if I wear this dress, then what about you? And it may not even be my size."

"Oh, I'll just wear something I've worn before. It's not like Isabel's going to notice or anything. And I'm pretty sure you're the same size as me. Now, enough chit-chatting! Put the dress on!"

Amy sighed, and walked inside the changing room, closing the door behind her. She just couldn't say no to Falon.

* * *

"I look stupid right?" Amy asked, stepping out of the changing room. Falon squealed.

"Ames! You look so pretty!"

"Yeah right." Amy said rolling her eyes. Falon knew Amy wouldn't believe her, so she grabbed Amy's hand and dragged her to a mirror installed on the wall.

"See for yourself." Amy glanced at her reflection at the mirror and her emerald eyes widened. She actually looked.._.pretty. _"See...I told ya."

"OK, fine. I may look OK, but,"

"OK? You look gorgeous._"_

"Well, first of all, thank you, and second of all, I still think this is a bad idea." Amy said disapprovingly.

"Oh, c'mon, Amy! I did all this for you! I wanted to make you experience an actual ball."

"You just wanted to gorge on the hors d'oeuvres." Amy said, raising her eyebrows.

"Are we going or not?"

"Um...OK. Fine. Just this once."

"Yeah!" Falon squealed, hugging Amy.

* * *

Ian stood in front of his mirror, examining himself from head to toe. He was checking himself at every angle, carefully studying the fine details of his China imported silk suit. It was a deep blue color with golden flecks at every corner. Ian smirked at his reflection. He looked amazing. But, of course, that was nothing new. A knock on the door interrupted Ian's thoughts.

"What are you doing here?" Ian said, an irritated look on his face as he opened the door for his cousin.

"Now come on, Ian, is that any way to talk to your cousin?" Jake said smugly.

"No, but that is the way to talk to my mortal enemy. What do you want, Jake? I need to finish getting ready."

"I just wanted to ask you about that redhead chick who works at your palace. I guess she's new though. I didn't see her the last time I was here."

"Who? Sophie? She's,"

"No, the one with the green eyes...what's her name...I forgot,"

"Amy? As in, Amy Cahill?"

"Yeah...she's the one. She's cute, if you like that sorta thing. Which, by the way I do."

"She's just some peasant mom appointed as my personal maid."

"Oh, you mean she's available?"

"Yes, but I think it would be better if you stay away from her."

"Why on earth would I want to do that?"

"Because, it would never work. You really think your dad's going to let you be with a mere peasant."

"Who says I'm going to be with her? I just want to have some fun, that's all."

"What do you mean, fun...?"

"Oh, I think we both know what I mean." Ian didn't like the wicked glint in Jake's eyes.

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter, but it got really late! **

_**-The G.W.**_


	7. Chapter 7

Ian shuddered at Jake's tone, which was saying something, because a Kabra never showed signs of vulnerability. For some reason, Ian didn't want Jake to corrupt Amy like he had done with all the other fifteen ladies before her. Yes, it was indeed true. Jacob Rosenbloom, one of the most respected officials in the whole of Europe was a _womanizer. _Although, all the girls he had slept with till now, were all, according to Ian, the perfect definition of sluts. Why did he suddenly want to switch to a girl like Amy?

"Amy? But she's not your type," Ian said.

"You're kidding right? What, are you trying to say that hot red heads are not my type?" Jake said, his arms across his chest.

"No, I was just," Ian said, trying to come up with a logical explanation.

"OK, I admit that Amy is not like the other girls I've dated," Ian snorted at the 'dating' part. If dating meant leaving the person after just a night, then Jake was probably right. "But, there's something about this girl. I believe that under that shy exterior lies a girl with no limits. Her true self is not a stuttering idiot. She is actually a very passionate young woman, Ian. I can sense it."

Ian ventured deep into the depths of his mind. Jake didn't know how right he was. Ian had never given it a second thought, but what Amy had done for her brother was indeed very noble. Still, Ian didn't understand why Jake cared so much about Amy's nature. "Since when did you start caring about the girl's personality? You're just interested on how she's built." Ian didn't care about how he sounded harsh, because it was the truth.

"I don't know Ian. I can't figure it out. I mean, you don't think I actually, _like_ her, do you?" Ian's muscles tensed up. Here, was a guy, who for the past five years of his life had done nothing but sweep girls off their feet, then taken advantage of them, and after that, they would wake up the next day to find him gone. A person like Jake could never be in a true relationship with anyone.

"I extremely doubt that."

"Well, anyway, I need to be getting to the ball." Jake said. "See you there, cuz."

* * *

"I would like to thank all of you for honoring us with your presence tonight." Isabel said to the large stretch of people gathered before her; dressed in the finest of clothes, while wearing the most expensive of jewelry. "We are all gathered here today to celebrate the meeting of two families, the meeting of two people, but most importantly," Isabel looked at her son and her soon to be daugther-in-law, Sinead seated on two thrones, side by side. "But most importantly, the meeting of two hearts..."

As Isabel continued with her speech, two very excited girls were in the large crowd of people. "Falon, I can't believe I'm actually in a royal ball! And I'm having a lot of fun."

"Oh, this is nothing. Let the dancing commence. I bet some real cute guy's going to ask you to dance."

"Yeah right." Amy said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, anyway, if you need me, I'll be at the buffet table. Oh yeah, and if anybody asks, you're Princess Aimee of The Canterbury."

"Wait, what? Falon, wait, what does..." Before Amy could complete her sentence, her friend was gone.

_What the hell am I supposed to do now? Should I...? _A tap on Amy's shoulder She turned around to see Jake bowing down in front of her, his hand extended toward her.

May I have this dance?

* * *

As Ian sat on his chair beside Sinead, he replayed the events of the day again in his mind. It was all so preposterous, the idea of Jake actually falling for someone. People fell for him, not the other way round.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Sinead asked, snapping Ian back to reality.

"It's nothing."

"Oh, c'mon. Is this about your cousin? Ian, I know that you don't like him, and yes, he is a jerk, but he is family. And don't make this about him;" Sinead took Ian's hand in her own. Normally, Ian wouldn't mind it, but this time, he just twitched and uncomfortably pulled back his hand. Sinead looked hurt, but she continued with her sentence. "This is about us. He's just going to stay here for like a month. After that we'll get married and Jacob will return back to Atlantia and everything will be back to normal."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Yes. I am, I always am." Sinead grinned. "Now, Ian Kabra would you like to dance with me?"

"Yes, m'lady. And, oh, Sinead?"

"Yes?"

"You look very pretty tonight."

* * *

"So, I've told you everything about myself. Now, tell me more about yourself, _Aimee_." Jake asked Amy, a big smile on his face. His hands were around her waist, and she was gripping onto his shoulders.

"What d-do you want to know?"

"Well, first I want to know; where exactly is _Canterbury_?

"Um, It's in the north-east."

"Uh huh. And, you're clearly too young to be a ruler. So, who's at the top now?"

"My dad. Um, his name's Vincent...Rolls." Amy said, eyeing a plate of French rolls on the nearby buffet table.

"Yes, another thing that's been bugging me since I met you..."

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Is your name really Aimee _Rolls_?"

"W-what do you m-mean by that?"

"I mean to say, isn't your name, _Amy Cahill_?"

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 39 Clues.**

_**-The G.W.**_


	8. Chapter 8

"Isn't your name, Amy Cahill?"

"Amy Cahill? M-me? No way. What kind of name is that?" Amy said, trying her best to hid her surprise.

"I apologize. I have something else on my mind," Jake said, buying Amy's lie. They danced in silence for a while, Amy's eyes darting around the room, frantically searching for Falon. Then, she saw something else that shocked her. Jake cleared his throat to say something, but Amy ignored him. She was looking at Ian, who was now dancing with Sinead. He had seen her too, and for some reason was making his way toward Jake and herself. The expression on his face didn't look very pretty, and Amy wasn't going to stick around to find what was up. He hadn't realized that she was Amy, the peasant, right?

"Your majesty, I need to be going now."

"Um, OK, but..." Amy pulled up her skirt and ran toward the French doors, not waiting for Jake to finish his sentence. Ian followed her, but Jake stopped him on the way.

"Woah. Woah. Woah. What just happened? And where are you going?" Jake asked suspiciously.

"Um, something came up. Could you keep Sinead busy for a while? Thanks!" And with that, Ian was out the door too.

_OK, Something's definitely up. _Jake said, gently caressing his temples. He turned toward Sinead, who was currently talking with some of her friends. She looked extremely beautiful in her lilac colored evening gown, with her bronze locks flowing down her back. Not to mention the gown was backless.

Well, that 'something' could definitely wait, Jake said, making his way toward Ian's fiancee.

* * *

Amy ran out into the garden, her heart beating faster and faster with every passing minute. She saw that the garden was divided into many different parts, one with Japanese cherry blossoms, the other with North American marigolds, and some with Mediterranean blue bells.

_They're divided on the basis of the country they're from! _Amy's brain quickly devised. She heard footsteps, and immediately ran into the Japanese counterpart. She saw a marble fountain in the far off distance, and near it was a big cream pavilion.

Perfect.

Amy ran to the building, and carefully crouched down behind it. It was just in time too, as Amy saw Ian enter the garden. She saw him run into the Turkish segment of the garden, and after a while, decided the coast was clear and emerged out from her hiding place.

_Whew, that was close..._

"Hey, _Cahill_." Ian's warm breath lingered on Amy's delicate cheekbone. She turned back with a jerk and her eyes met that of a smirking Kabra's.

"H-how did you know?" Amy asked, shivering like a mouse in front of a mighty falcon.

"I didn't. You just told me." Ian replied.

"I'm sorry, master. I-I didn't know what I was thinking,"

"Are you interested in Jake?"

"E-excuse me?"

"I said, do you consider Jacob Rosenbloom as a possible partner?"

"Your majesty, what,"

"Cause he's definitely head-over-heels for you." Ian said, interrupting Amy. "Well, I've got a piece of advice for you; Stay away from him. Seriously, Amy, he's bad news." Amy's stomach did a somersault. This was the first time Amy had actually heard Ian say her name. She loved the way her name rolled of his tongue...

_Stop it! He's engaged, for god's sake!_

"I'll keep that in mind, master. I apologize for my behavior."

"Very well. You may leave now. And, take the other entrance out the garden so that Isabel doesn't see you." Amy nodded her head in response and left the place. Ian was going to return to the party too, but he was confronted by Jake before he could.

"What the hell was that?!" Jake asked Ian angrily.

"What was what?"

"Why did you tell Amy to back off from me?"

"That wasn't Amy," Ian replied coolly.

"I heard everything. I know who the girl I danced with was. No matter I mistook her for Amy, she was Amy! Anyway, that's not the real problem here. What the problem is that you're messing with my girl's head. Mind your own business, Kabra."

"Listen here, _Rosenbloom._" Ian spat. "I know what you mean by 'my girl'. You're just going to use Amy, like all the other fifteen girls before her. I won't have you messing with my people too. You may have dirtied the girls of your country, but if you even lay a finger on any of my subjects, I will murder you. I mean it. These people are my responsibility; and so, it is in a way, my business."

Jake remained silent for a while, and Ian smirked triumphantly.

"I admit, I am not the best person at maintaining a relationship." Ian snorted at this. "OK, fine, I'm a player. But there's something different about Amy, I can feel it. I may be in love with her, Ian. For the first time, I might actually be to willing pursue an honest relationship."

"All that will be gone after just a night, when you've already corrupted her. I don't trust you, Jacob. I never have and I never will." Ian said coldly. Jake's face regained it's angry scorn again.

"What's it you anyway? You never gave a shit about 'your citizens' anyway. Why, is Amy Cahill something special to you?"

"I don't have to answer you." Ian said lamely; but Jake could see a slight blush forming on his cinnamon skin. "Now, if you don't mind, Sinead must be waiting for me." Ian walked past his cousin, a shoulder knocking Jake's on the way. As Jake stared angrily into Ian's back, he knew something was up. Ian was brewing feelings for Amy; not that he would ever admit it.

_Well, Ian better back off, cause Amelia's mine._

_All mine._

* * *

**_-Ghost._**


	9. Chapter 9

"Where the hell were you?!" Falon said angrily, walking into Amy's room. "I was searching for you all over the damn place!"

"You were the one who left me alone to go and pig out at the buffet table!"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Anyway, why _did_ you leave?"

"It's not like I had a choice."

"What do you mean?" Amy told Falon everything, from her dance with Jake to her 'talk' with Ian in the garden.

"Ian told you to stay away from Jake? How is that his problem?"

"Why do we even care? Jake just danced with me cause he thought I was a princess. He's never going to talk to me ever again."

"You're missing the point, Ames. Ian's poking his big-ass nose in your business, and that's not fair. He can't decide who you can and cannot be with. He just doesn't want you to be with Jake, cause he doesn't want a member of the magnificent Kabra family marrying a mere peasant." Falon said, sarcastically. "Well, too bad, cause Jake's already in love with you."

"He's not in love with me! Gah, Falon, just please shut up. You're giving me a migraine. Ian told me to stay away from Jake cause he's bad news."

Falon snorted.

"They're Kabras, Amy. They lie."

"Then how do you know Jake's not just pretending to be in love with me?"

"Cause he wouldn't accomplish anything with that!"

"You're just being paranoid, Falon."

"Am I Amy? Am I really?

"YES!"

* * *

"Where were you?" Sinead hissed, as she saw Ian walking toward her.

"I was just catching a fresh breath." Ian lied, without batting an eyelid.

"Uh huh." Sinead said, unconvinced. "Well, let's go, dinner's about to be served." Sinead led Ian to the far end of the hall, were stood about fifteen white tables. In the center was the biggest one, where Jake, Isabel, Vikram and Sinead's parents were seated. They gestured for the couple; all except Jake Rosenbloom, who was staring at his cousin with utter hatred and contempt.

Ian just shrugged.

* * *

Finally, when it was time for the food to arrive, Ian saw a few maids and butlers enter from the kitchen and walk into the hall. They were carrying plates of delicacies, but that was not the thing that caught his attention. Amy was one of the servers, and she had changed from her gown into a proper maid uniform. Her hair was tied back in a bun and she wore a shy look on her face. She was also balancing a tray of drinks on her hand.

"What is she doing here? I thought she was only _my_ personal maid." Ian whispered to his mother.

"We were a bit short on servants today." Isabel whispered back; then turned her attention to the Starling's again.

Ian saw Amy walk toward their table, and the fact that this made him do a little somersault inside, annoyed him greatly. As she walked over, Sinead leaned toward Ian and silently whispered into his ear.

"She's really pretty, right?" Ian just nodded in response.

"Um, h-hello. What w-would you like? I've got hand squeezed mulberry j-juice, and- some," Amy said, leaning toward all of them. Ian saw that Amy's dress was a bit loose, and it seemed to be drooping a bit too much around the neckline. He saw Jake ogling her, and a strange feeling passed through his body. It wasn't very pleasant.

"I'll just have the juice." Ian said quickly; so as to make Amy stand up again. Amy nodded, blushing profusely, as she placed a glass near Ian's plate. The others agreed with Ian and very soon the whole table had been served with the red fluid.

As Amy walked over to the other table, Jake took a sip of his juice and then spat it out.

"What the hell is this?!" He shouted at Amy.

"Y-your majesty, I,"

"This is just water! How dare you!" Ian was baffled. Why was Jake shouting at Amy like that?

"Go and get me another glass. And make it snappy, otherwise you'll pay!" Amy nodded her hand and quickly ran out the door, and Jake sat back down and apologized to the Starling's.

"I'm sorry, but that was needed. Nowadays, these people think that they can just get away with crappy service; but I shall not allow that. Now, where is that boy with our dinner?"

Ian just sat there, wondering what could possibly be the explanation for his cousin's sudden outburst.

* * *

The night passed by quickly, and very soon the Starling's had left the palace. Jake went to his room without a word to anyone. Ian too, was going to his room, when he saw Amy, who was crouching down on the ground and appeared to be looking for something.

"What's the matter?"

"I-I broke a glass and I'm picking up the pieces b-before anybody gets h-hurt."

"Oh, can I help?" Before Amy could respond, Ian was already down on his knees; searching for the pieces. The two collected all of them; and they were thrown into the nearby dustbin.

"Oh wait, there's one more!" Amy said, reaching for the forgotten piece. However, she must have picked it with such intensity, that her hand got cut in the process. She let out a soft moan.

"What's wrong, Amy?" Ian said, and Amy thought that she actually heard-concern in his voice...? No, that couldn't be true.

"It's n-nothing, your majesty."

"Amy, you're bleeding! Come, let's get that bandaged up."

"Oh, that's OK, your m-majesty. N-no need to worry about it. I'll tie it up myself."

"Nonsense! You can't do that yourself." Ian slowly led Amy to the kitchen, and told her to sit down at the table. He reached for a small almirah and pulled out a bottle containing a bluish liquid. He went and sat down near her.

"Hold out your hand, and sit still." She obeyed, and stuck out the cut hand. Ian took out his white handkerchief and wiped away the blood. Then, on the clean side of the handkerchief, he dabbed a bit of the blue pigment.

"Now, this may sting a little, but it will help the cut in healing." Ian placed Amy's hand in his; and an electric feeling passed through both of them.

It was pleasant, but it was ignored.

Ian wiped away at the cut, and at last, tore off a piece of his handkerchief, and wrapped it tightly around the wound.

"There. It should be better in a few days."

"Thank you." Amy and Ian both raised their heads from the table at the same time.

Amy was blushing.

Ian smirked, and then looked into her green eyes. They were so pretty...and so was she. He noticed that a stray piece of hair had come out of her bun, and he neatly tucked it behind her ear.

He was at the perfect distance to kiss her.

The two leaned closer together, and very soon, their lips met.

It was the best experience ever.

Her lips were soft, and the kiss was gentle, like the soft pitter-pattering of raindrops on a windowsill. Ian had kissed a lot of girls before, but this was the only one that actually felt genuine.

After a few seconds, Amy realized what she was doing, and sprang away from Ian, knocking her chair down in the process.

"I-I have t-to go." She stammered, and ran out the door. Ian shook his head, shocked at what had just happened between him and that...peasant.

But that was just for fun, right?

It didn't really mean anything. Just a stupid, spur of the moment thing.

Then why had it felt so darn good?

Ian got up from his seat, and in a daze, walked out from the kitchen. He got into his room and collapsed on his bed, dead tired and confused.

* * *

What the two people didn't know was that there was a third figure who was present in that room with them.

And that person had seen _everything._

* * *

**I apologize for any mistakes; I posted this in tremendous hurry. I would appreciate it, if you would check out my latest one-shot, Sacrifices, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Also, I hope the kiss was satisfactory.**

**Review!**

_**-Ghost.**_


	10. Chapter 10

The next few days were weird.

There was no other way to describe them; they were just plain _weird._

After the whole 'fiasco' in the kitchen, Ian had been ignoring and avoiding Amy. It was not like she was trying to talk to him either, and the communication between them had entirely lapsed.

The second weird thing was Jake.

His behavior had not bettered from that day, and he had been losing his cool ever since. He used to shout at Amy every time; even for the simplest of things.

_"Hey, my soup's cold, idiot!"_

_"Where's my coat?"_

_"Why isn't my stallion properly groomed?!"_

_"Hey, where are my stop-being-a-bitch pills?"_

Well, Jake didn't exactly say the last line, but Falon deemed that as appropriate for him as she saw poor Amy being ordered around by the 'high and mighty' prince.

"What's his deal?" Falon said angrily, once she and Amy were alone. "He was _so_ nice all the other days."

"That's what I told you Falon. These royal people just don't care about us, no matter how much they try to act like they do." _Just like Ian, _Amy added mentally, thinking about the kiss. She was sure he did it for fun, nothing more.

"Yeah, I guess. Jake's a douche, just like all of them. I'm sorry for trying to force you into a relationship or whatever."

"It's OK." Amy said sympathetically.

_"Hey, get me my hunting boots!" _An agitated voice rang out from the other room.

"Gotta go." Amy said, picking up a pair of black galoshes from the ground. "Duty calls."

* * *

"Where were you?!" Jake said angrily. "Ian and all the others left out for the woods a long time ago."

"I'm sorry." Amy said with bated breath. "It took me a while to find them, they were buried quite deep inside the cupboard.

"Whatever." Jake commented rudely, snatching the boots from Amy's hand."

"May I go now, your majesty?" Amy said, trying not to lose her temper. She could be shy and timid, but if someone treated her like dirt, she could get feisty.

"Actually," Jake said, walking to the door of the room. He shut it and then secured it with a lock. "I have something to discuss with you."

"W-what?" Amy's tone faltered; the look on Jake's face had turned rather creepy.

"I have a..._proposition._"

"What kind of p-proposition are w-we talking a-about?"

"You must have noticed that I've been displaying a rather odd behavior nowadays."

"You said it, sir. Not m-me." Jake laughed.

"Hilarious. I find that rather attractive in a woman."

"Get to the p-point, sir."

"First of all, I order you to address me as 'Jake'."

"Yes, si-Jake."

"Good. Now, about this agreement. I'm going to put in front of you two options;" Amy listened closely, bracing herself for what was going to come.

"The first one: Our relationship remains the same. Although, I must warn you," Jake leaned closer toward Amy. "...I'll make your life a living hell." Amy gulped.

"The second one; You shall live the life of a queen. Whatever you want, it'll be brought to you. On one condition of course."

"What i-is it, J-Jake?"

"You'll have to marry me."

* * *

Ian mounted his horse into the stables and jumped off it. He and Jake were supposed to go fox hunting, but the latter hadn't bothered to show up. Ian was not surprised, it was just like Jake to cancel an appointment without a notice. However, Ian didn't want to ruin his plans for Jake, so he had gone anyway.

As Ian was walking to his room, he saw Amy walk out of Jake's room, a stricken expression on her face. A million questions passed through him:

_What was she doing in Jake's room? Why does she look so sad? Did Jake hurt her? _

But Ian ignored all of them. After the misunderstanding in the kitchen, he didn't want to interact with the Cahill anymore. What would happen if anyone found out? Here he was, about to be married to the princess of Fernia, and he was smooching with another girl just a few days till the wedding.

Ian walked into his room and slammed the door behind him. Life could be _so_ complicated. He took of his sweaty polo and threw it onto the white, fresh sheets of his king-size bed.

As Ian stretched out his limbs in the warm water, memories of the kiss came rushing to his mind. It had been so...pleasant. Amy's lips were really soft, and they tasted like a sweet blend of cinnamon and berry. She smelt like honey from close, and...Ian stopped himself.

_Oh, this cannot be happening._

_But he knew it was. He was, indeed, falling in love with Amy Cahill._

* * *

_**I updated fast, didn't I? In just a day.**_

_**Well, I hope you liked it.**_

_**-Ghost.**_


	11. Chapter 11

She had said yes.

Amy Cahill had just agreed to marry someone who she had not even know for more than two weeks.

_What is wrong with me?_

But we all knew that the Cahill was alright, it was, in fact, Jacob Rosenbloom who was the messed up one.

* * *

_"You'll have to marry me." _

_Jake's cold tone ran through Amy's body, sending a chill down her spine._

_"No." The answer was simple and straightforward. There was no emotion in her eyes when she said it._

_There was complete silence between the two. Then Jake spoke up again;_

_"Very well. You may leave."_

_She nodded, and was almost out the door, when he spoke up again;_

_"I believe you have a brother..."_

_Her eyes widened. She spun around, her red hair brushing his face in the process._

_"I think his name's...Daniel?"_

_"Don't bring Dan into this."_

_"And what if I do?"_

___"Don't. Not D-Dan. I-I'll do anything you want."_

_"Well," Jake said, stepping closer to the girl. "Let's just say if you don't accept my 'proposal', Dan and his family will be getting a visit from my henchmen. Tonight."_

_"NO!" Amy's agitated voice rang out. Tears were forming in her eyes. "I agree."_

_"Agree to what?" Jake knew what she meant, he just wanted to hear her say it._

_"I-I'll m-marry you."_

_Jake smirked._

_"Very well; here's the plan..."_

* * *

Amy couldn't believe it.

Jake had actually threatened to _kill_ Dan.

Tears started to flow down from her emerald eyes again. She ran through the corridors of the palace, her red hair bobbing up down, as she opened the door of her room and flung onto her bed.

And so the whole night was passed with the unheard sobs of a young girl in her room, forced to spend eternity with the man she hated the most.

* * *

Ian woke up the next day, and gazed out the window, gazing at the warm sunlight that penetrated through his glass window. He smiled.

_Well, that's weird._

Ian had never been one to appreciate nature. In fact, he was the kind of person who never actually noticed it. Then what was wrong with him today...?

* * *

After a quick shower, Ian got dressed and skipped down the stairs. Something which he hadn't done since he was seven.

"Good morning, dear." Isabel greeted, smiling warmly at Ian, as he walked into the dining hall.

"Good morning, mother." He stopped, and glanced around the room as if something was wrong. "Where's Jake?"

"Oh, Jake had to leave for some important business affairs." Isabel said, her voice sweet and sugary. "Don't you worry about it. Come and sit with me dear, and have some Persian coffee."

"Actually..." Ian gave his mother a suspicious look. "I think I'll go for a walk around the estate first."

"Suit yourself. But return soon. The Starlings shall be coming here in about an hour."

"Why?"

"We...are thinking about preponing the date of the wedding."

"What? Why?"

"We think that the sooner you and Sinead get married, the sooner you can be crowned king."

" You and father are perfectly alright. What's the rush to crown me?"

"The elders know what's right, Ian Damon Kabra. We don't do anything without thinking. Now, didn't you have a walk you were supposed to go on?" Isabel said, trying to change the course of the topic.

"Very well." Ian would get to the bottom of this later. He had some 'business' to attend to right now.

* * *

_Where could she be?_

Ian's mind raced with many questions, and he ran frantically around, searching for Amy. That's when he saw a silhouette walking down the hall, holding a bunch of towels.

_That's the Falon girl! I've seen Amy around her before. Maybe she'll know...?_

"Falon!" Ian said, running toward the walking figure.

"What do you want, Ian?" Falon said.

"Where's Amy?"

"I dunno. The last time I saw her was yesterday night. After that, she went to give Jake the Terrible his galoshes."

"Jake? Of course. I should have known he was the one up to this."

"Up to what?" Falon asked.

"Nothing. See you later." Ian said, once again, running toward the direction of the dining room.

* * *

As Ian was just about to walk into the room, he heard something which made him stop in his tracks.

"Yes, Jake has gone very far away with Amy. She won't be returning any time soon." It was his mother's voice.

_What does she mean by that? _

Ian slowly backed away from the door.

_What was happening?_

There were so many questions, but so little time.

Ian decided to go on that walk and clear his mind.

* * *

**This might have gotten a bit boring, but that's because its a bridge to the next; more exciting chapter.**

**Review.**

_**-Ghost.**_


	12. Chapter 12

Ian stepped out the castle, and took a deep breath. He gazed around, at the world before him. He was soaking in the scenery, admiring it properly, something which he had never done before.

_Now, let's get on with that walk, why don't we?_

The prince jogged down the stairs of the castle, and was just about to set foot on the ground, when something caught his eye.

Chariot tracks. And they were still fresh.

_It couldn't have been __the Starlings, they haven't arrived yet. The tracks couldn't have been from yesterday, since it rained at midnight. Either someone arrived in the morning...or someone went from the palace._

Ian saw that the tracks were coming from the forest. Or where they leading to it?

He would soon find out. Ian ran toward the royal stables, his heart beating rashly against his rib cage. He saw his white stallion, and quickly got it out.

"Come on, boy. We've got a mystery to solve."

* * *

The horse galloped through the woods, his nimble legs fast and agile. Ian hung on tightly, following the tracks with great difficulty. They seemed to stretch on for long, until, they finally stopped at a destination.

"Shit!" Ian cried out in frustration. "We were so close!" He jumped off the horse, and kneeled near the area where the tracks stopped.

_They either mounted the chariot from here, or discarded the chariot and continued on foot._

Suddenly, Ian's horse gave out a soft neigh.

"What is it, boy?"

Ian walked toward the animal, and saw what it was looking at. There, among the dense plant, was an abandoned white chariot, which looked just like the one the Kabras used.

"Bingo! Good job! The people _did_ come from our palace." He mounted the horse again.

* * *

Ian and the horse went along the same path for miles and miles, but didn't come across anything. Ian felt dejected. He was about to turn back the horse again, when a single cry in the air got his attention.

It sounded like a girl in distress.

The duo galloped toward where the sound had come from, and arrived in front of a thick bushel. Ian parted the stalks with his hand, and the scene in front of him shocked him.

It was Jake, his despicable cousin, and the maid, Amy.

Jake was holding a dagger to Amy's throat, and she appeared to be crying. A dangerous and cruel glint was present in Jake's eyes, and Ian knew if he didn't act fast, Amy would be shish-kabobed any minute.

Ian's eyes darted around the place, and he saw a rock lying on the ground. He picked it up, and after carefully aiming, threw it at Jake's head.

"OW!" A scream pierced through the air, and Jake stumbled back, losing his grip on Amy. Ian emerged out from the bushes.

"What the hell's going on here?!"

Jake got up, and Ian realized that there was blood dripping from his forehead.

"This doesn't concern you, cousin." He spat. Jake grabbed a stunned Amy by the hand and pulled her to him. "This is between me and Amy. Or should I say...my fiancee."

"What does that mean?" Ian demanded.

"Can't you see? She's wearing a wedding dress, Ian." That's when Ian noticed, Amy was indeed wearing a white dress. It reached till her toes, and was sleeveless, so that her white porcelain hands were exposed.

She looked..._lovely._

"We are getting married, cousin. Won't you congratulate us?" Jake purred.

"No, you're not! You were trying to kill her!"

"Yes." Amy finally spoke up. "I thought you loved me Jake. You brought me here so that we could get married. Why did you try to kill me?" Jake edged closer to Amy, his lips almost touching hers.

"I did love you. But that was before you went and kissed that IDIOT!" Jake screamed, pointing at Ian.

"Y-you saw us?"

"No. But Isabel did. And she came rushing to me afterward. You have to go, Amy. You've caused too much trouble. Isabel ordered me to murder you. If the Starlings ever find out what happened between you and Ian, a lot of damage will be caused." Jake picked up his weapon from the ground. "And we just can't have that, now can we?"

"N-no. Please. I-I'll go f-far away from here. I won't tell a-anybody."

"Sorry. We are not taking the chance." Jake lunged at her.

"NO!" Ian shouted, running toward the two. He pushed Amy out of the way, and she fell down, hitting her head in the process. The blow caused her to faint.

"Why do you care if that peasant dies, Ian? Why? You never cared for anyone lower than you, why start now? Go away, and we'll act like this never happened. I'll kill her. Just like your mother wants."

"I don't care what my mother wants, I'm not going to allow you to kill an innocent person just so my marriage goes smoothly."

"Is it really about just killing an innocent person? Are you sure, that, over the time, you possibly might have fallen in love with the girl?"

Ian couldn't answer that.

"Put down the dagger, Jake."

"No. Not till I dispose of this bitch."

That was the last straw. Ian pounced on Jake, and delivered a knuckle sandwich on his jaw. Jake, in turn, kicked Ian, which caused him to fall down, and bruise his lip.

"I warned you."

Ian reached for the dagger, which was a bit near to him, but Jake stepped onto his fingers. Ian howled in pain.

"Sorry, cousin. But I believe this belongs to me."

* * *

**And the excitement starts!**

**A big thank you to all the amazing reviewers out there! Seriously, you guys are awesome.**

**Read, Review and PM me if you feel like it.**

**-_Ghost._**


	13. Chapter 13

Ian was pissed now.

His face was covered with dirt and blood, his idiotic cousin was towering over him, ready to strike Ian anytime with the dagger, and all this was happening while he was still trying to figure out his feelings for Amy. His amber eyes drifted over to her unconscious body sprawled on the floor. Her hair was entangled among the weeds growing on the forest grounds, her snow-white skin was now dirty and sweaty, and her cream dress had lost all its elegance.

Yet, for some darn reason, she still looked beautiful to Ian. And when he saw her, in that state, he felt angry. He felt angry at Jake, at his mother, and mostly, at himself. It was because of him that she was in this state.

And, now, it was up to him to save her.

Ian grudgingly got up on his feet, wiping away the sweat on his brow. "That all you got?" He threatened Jake boldly.

"Stop with the act." Jake laughed. "You have got nothing to defend yourself with...you really think you can beat me?"

"No." Ian said, taking a step toward his cousin. "I know I can beat you." With that, he brought his foot up, and delivered a kick straight at Jake's nose. The blow was so strong, that the dagger was knocked out of Jake's hand. Ian bent down and picked it up.

"I'm really tired of you taking advantage of people. I admit that I've never looked after my own subjects well, but I would never think of making their lives such a misery, like you. You…cousin, truly disgust me." He brought down the dagger with force, at Jake, but the red head dodged it.

"I-Ian, stop this. We can t-talk…"

"I'm done talking."

Ian thrust the knife into Jake's chest.

* * *

"Amy? Are you OK?" Ian whispered in her ear. She didn't reply for a while, but then Ian noticed her eyes flutter open.

"W-what happened?" She asked. Her eyes shifted over to Jake's body, lying a few feet away.

"Oh my god! Is he dead?!" Amy exclaimed, getting up on her feet and running to the bloody mass.

"No. I checked, he is still breathing. I didn't hurt him that bad." Ian replied. "Are…you fine, though?"

"Yeah. I'm good. Head feels a bit funny, that's all."

"Good."

There was an awkward pause between the two. Ian walked near to Amy, and slowly leaned in toward her. She leaned too, and just when their lips were about to touch, Ian scooped her in a hug instead.

"I'm glad you're alright."

* * *

The duo, along with the unconscious Jake arrived at the palace just as the sun had set, with Amy and Ian walking while Jake's body had been tied to Ian's horse. They had covered his wound with medicinal leaves, which were scattered all over the woods.

"Prince Ian!" Falon shouted, running over to both of them, as soon as they entered the palace courtyard. "And…Amy?"

"Falon. Take Jake and Amy to the infirmary and clean their wounds. I need to take care of something." Falon nodded, and led the two away. Ian hurriedly scampered up the stairs of the palace and burst into the main room, where he saw Isabel reading. She looked up to face him, and her eyes widened.

"Ian?! Why are you so filthy? And where were you all day?"

"Mother. Did you ask Jake to kill Amy?" Ian said, his tone dark and urgent. Isabel was surprised at the sight of her son.

"Ian, what are y-"

"Did you ask Jake to kill Amy?" Ian repeated, impatiently. Isabel's expression, too, changed to a darker one.

"Yes, yes I did. Our reputation was on the line, Ian!" Isabel said in her defense.

"That is no excuse to kill someone." Ian's face hardened. "If this is what my marriage to Sinead results to, I'm afraid I have to call it off." Isabel noticed that Ian's tone was serious, and so was the look in his eyes.

"Are you out of your bloody mind?!" Isabel exclaimed, furiously getting up from her chair, and in the process knocking it down. "Do you have any idea what that could do to us? The Starling-"

"I don't give a damn!" Ian shouted. "You almost killed someone, and this-"

"Ian!" A voice from behind spoke up. It was Vikram. "That is no way to talk to your mother. Apologize."

"No." Ian refused. "I'm not apologizing to a cold-blooded murderer."

And he walked out the room.

* * *

"I-Ian?" Amy said uncertainly. Ian was trying to unlock the door of his room.

"Amy?" Ian asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, since Falon bandaged me up, I was just doing chores around the palace."

"You should go and rest now. You can resume work tomorrow." Ian offered kindly.

"I'm afraid Queen Isabel wouldn't like that."

"Don't care about what she says." Ian said, irritated at the mention of his mother. He finally opened the door. "Good night, Amy."

"Um, Ian, I need to ask-"

But he had already shut the door.

* * *

** Hey.**

**First of all, thank you. To all of you, out there who reviewed. I reached 100 reviews! Thanks. And, I'm sorry for the late and short update. I will try to update the next chapter faster.**

**-_Ghost._**


	14. Chapter 14

Amy was at her wits end.

What was wrong with her? She couldn't sleep, she couldn't eat, and all she did was think. Think about Ian. He used to revolve in her thoughts all the time, and because of that Amy was unable to do anything else.

"Gah!" Amy cried out, jumping from her bed. "What is wrong with me?!" She picked up her pillow, and threw it with full force at the wall before her. The impact was so strong on the already ragged-up pillow that it burst to produce a massive amount of white feathers.

Amy pondered. It couldn't be love…or could it?

_Anyway, it doesn't matter_, Amy thought, getting up to pick her damaged pillow. _A prince like Ian…and a peasant like me…it's out of the question._

A knock on the door interrupted Amy's train of thought.

"Yes?" She asked politely, opening the door of her room. There were two soldiers outside, and a _déjà vu_ feeling rushed through the girl. This was way too much like the time the soldiers had come to collect Dan.

But this time they were there for her, not for her brother.

"Miss Amy Cahill? Queen Isabel…awaits you."

* * *

"Your majesty, you wanted to see me?" Amy said, as she walked into Isabel's room, accompanied by the two guards.

"Ah, yes." Isabel said, rising up from her seat. Amy noticed that the room was really dark, without a lit candle in sight. Isabel turned to the soldiers. "You two may leave now." The lady turned to face Amy. "This is between me and Amy." Amy winced at Isabel's sharp tone, but she kept quiet.

"So," Isabel said, as soon as the guards were gone. "You are the one my hopeless son has taken a liking to, huh?" She stared hard at Amy, who was beginning to feel very insecure now.

"I-It's not l-like that." Amy stammered, her hands shaking with rapid intensity. "M-master Ian doesn't f-feel anything f-for me. I s-swear."

"Hm. What about you, Amy?" Isabel enquired, folding her arms. Amy gulped.

"What d-do you mean?" Isabel let out a sigh. She then walked over to Amy, and held Amy's face with a hand, her fingers digging into Amy's cheeks.

"I mean, do you have feelings for Ian?" Isabel's tone had changed from deadly calm to just plain deadly. Amy didn't answer the question, and Isabel let go. "Whatever." She said, turning away from the nervous girl. "It doesn't matter. You may feel whatever you want toward Ian, but he shall only marry into the Starling family. And I'll make sure of that." Amy's ears pricked up, and she looked toward Isabel, alarmed.

"My plan to kill you might have failed at first, but not now. I'm going to give you two chances, _peasant." _Isabel spat at the poor girl. "Leave now, and never come back, or," Isabel pulled out a dagger from her gown. "Or…I kill you. Right now."

"Don't bother." Amy said, clenching her fists. "I'll go. I'll go from here, and I'll never return." Isabel's deadly expression was exchanged with a surprised one.

"I was not expecting you to give up on Ian so fast." Isabel said, flashing a semi-deadly smile.

"Well," Amy said, her head faced toward to the ground. "I guess you were wrong then." Isabel was taken aback at the sudden calmness in the girl's words, but she didn't show her surprise.

"Goodbye, Amy Cahill. This will hopefully be the last time we ever meet again." And with those words, the queen made her way out the door, and left behind the peasant she so greatly despised.

As soon as Amy was sure that Isabel was gone, she slumped to the floor. Amy no longer had anything left. She couldn't go back to Dan…they were all under the impression that she was dead. She couldn't stay in the palace any longer…

In other words, it was over. Her time with Ian was something she would always cherish. Something….she would always treasure.

And with all those thoughts heavily weighing down her mind, she let it break loose. A tear rolled down Amy's cheek, which was soon followed by another one.

And very soon, Amy was sobbing, the force of her tears so great that her whole body shuddered with the pain.

She would never see Ian again.

* * *

It was dawn when Amy set out from the palace. She had left behind a note in Falon's room, and was just about to exit through the front gates, when she stopped herself.

_I…I just want to see him one more time._

Amy, by now, had memorized all the twists and turns of the whole palace. She hurriedly took a shortcut to Ian's room.

As she outside it, gazing at the massive ebony doors, Amy started crying again.

_No_, Amy thought, rubbing away her tears fiercely. _I want to make my last memory of Ian a happy one. _She slowly slid open the doors of his room, and peeked in through the little space.

He was lying in bed, his raven hair all messed up. His eyes were closed, and he looked so…innocent. Amy smiled at the sight of him in such a vulnerable state.

_Goodbye, Ian._

And with that, Amy again closed the door of Ian's room. She was satisfied now.

_I love you._

* * *

**Thanks to all the reviewers! I'm going to reply to a guest one now, since I can't reply to them through messages.**

**Amian Is Awesome: Thank you for the idea, but as you can see after reading this chapter, I already had something up my sleeve. Thanks for the review and suggestion, though. And for the encouraging words.**

**_-Ghost._**


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